Yarn tension equalizing means



y 1950 R. H. JOHNSON 2,514,582

YARN TENSION EQUALIZING MEANS Filed Jan. 25, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FI.E-L-

j J Z 1 5 w I NV EN TOR: lioberl @12726071 ATTORNEY y 1950 R. H. JOHNSON v 2,514,582

YARN TENSION EQUALIZING MEANS Filed Jan. 25, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR: ljZoberZ'flTJbh/nson,

Patented July 11, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE YARN TENSION EQUALIZING ,ME'AN S Robert H. Johnson, Reading; Pa., assignor to Temple Full Fashioned Hosiery Mills, Inc., Temple, Pa, a corporation; of Pennsylvania Application January 25, 1950, SerialNo. 140,420

(Cl. 66'-.14fi);

11 Claims.

the feeding tension of nylon yarn in hosiery fabric knitting machines will cause such detrimental results as irregular and unsightly selvedge edges in thefabric, aswell asconsiderablevariation in the lengths of. the hosiery fabrics produced. To overcome such detrimental re sults, various expedients have been employed, such as rewinding of the yarn pirns, cones, or packages, toeff-ect a moreuniform tension conditionv of the yarn. at; its source of supply, and installation in the knitting machine of various means intendedv to equalize the yarn feeding tension at some point between the yarn supply. and the yarn demand. However, none of these expedients'have. so far. accomplished their intended purpose in. a, manner considered. by the trade to: be. economical,v or satisfactory from a practical. or commercial standpoint.

One object of my invention is. to providea novel yar-n. tension equalizing device for textile ma chines, which overcomes the indicated. and other difiiculties and detrimental results.

Another object isv to provide such a device whichhas certainstructural and. functional feat: ures .ofadvantage. over the similar devicesof the prior art.

A- further object is to provide such a device which is, simple .in construction and operation and which performs its intended purpose in an effective, efiicient and practical manner.

An additional. object is to provide such a device which canbe.variously installed in a. knitting, or other textile machine, between the yarn.

sourceand point of yarn demand, so as to 0,0:

operate with, or to. eliminate, certain standard yam tensioning elements of, such machines.

It is also an object to provide such a device having a novel yarn tension equalizing. element which is pivotally suspended on a support so that aportion, or means, at the free end thereof may be engaged by the yarn during its feeding travel in such manner. as. to efiect swinging movement of. the element from a perpendicular position tov a yarn tension equalizing position as. determinedv by the pulling action. exerted by the yarn during its feeding travel along said element means, or portion.

2 Another object I. is to. provide such a device. in which; thesaid pivotallysuspended yarn tension equalizing element cooperates with one or more yar-ncontacting members the action of which; ismade effective, or ineffective, by the positional location ot the element during its swinging movement from a perpendicular position' to a yarn tension equalizing position.

A further object is to provide such a device ward and from each other so that they can bereadily inserted and withdrawn from bearing apertures provided therefor in the supporting structure of the device.

With these and other objects in view, which- Will'. become more apparent from the following detailed description of one practical and illustrative form of my improvements shown in the accompanying drawings, the inventioncomprises the novel deviceelements, features of constructionand arrangement of parts in cooperative relationship, as m re particularly indicated by the. hereto appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1. is a partial vertical cross-sectionalview through the upper section of a conventional full-fashioned hosiery knitting machine and showsone form of my'novel' yarn tension equalizing device applied thereto.

Fig- 2, is a partial, vertical crossesectional, view through the upper section. of a conventional full,-

fashioned hosiery. knitting machine, similar to, Rig; 1--, and showsany novel yarn tension equalizins device appli dc e elzo. a difiere t man r than. illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top planview of a preferred: embodiment of my novel yarn tension equalizing device.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of thedevice shown in Fig. 3;

Fig; 5; is anend elevati'onal view of the device shown in Figs. 3 and 4, as seen by looking at Fig. 4 from the right hand end thereof.

Fig. 6 is a central vertical cross-sectional view through the device shown in Fig. 3, as indicated by the arrows 33 on the latter, and

Fig. 7 is a front elevational view of one type wire-formed yarn tension equalizing element constituting a part of my novel device.

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of two elements like the element shown in Fig. 7, but each being of a different weight, or wire gauge.

It will be helpful to an understanding er my invention to first briefly consider some of the more important aspects and features thereof, so that these may be kept in mind during the subsequent reading of the detailed description of the practical and illustrative embodiment of my im-" provements as shown in the accompanying draw ings. Accordingly, it is noted that the production of hosiery from yarn, such. as nylon yarn, which has an elastic qualityor characteristic, has

heretofore posed the problem of providing knitting machines with means to overcome the difiiculties resulting from variation in the yarn feed- I ing tension, caused by the said elastic quality, or

characteristic, of nylon yarn, This problem has not been satisfactorily solved prior to my invention.

As previously mentioned, the difficulties resulting from the indicated variation in yarn feeding tension, manifest themselves in the formation of irregular, or unsightly, selvedge edges in the fiat knitted fabrics produced on straight, or full-fashioned knitting machines, and more seriously, in

considerable variation in the overall lengths of the individual hosiery fabrics thatare produced by the different knitting sections of such machines.

It has been found in practice thatladies nylon stockings made from such fabrics may' vary in overall length from 1 1103 inches, or even more in some instances, and since the full length of such finished stockings ordinarily varies in 1 lengths from 29 to 35'inches, it will bef'appreciat ed that the said undesirable variation in fabric lengths, entails lenr gth rnatcl 'ii'ri'g labor and other costs which considerably i'ncreasethe production cost of the hosiery. I

It has also been found in practice that when the nylon pirns, cones, or packag'esof a knitting machine are wound relativelytight, the resultant yarn tension causes the stocking, or hosiery fabricspto be'shorter, whereas a relatively loosely wound nylon pirn','or'cone, will cause the hosiery fabrics to be longer. Also, that a large pirn" or cone has a tendency to have less drag on the yarn,

than one from which about one-half or perhaps three-fourths of the yarn has been removed, or withdrawn. This has led to'the'practice of rewinding the yarn cones to thereby effect a more uniform yarn tension "condition at the yarn source, with consequent additional production cost.

The novel yarn tension equalizing device of my invention is designed so that it may be mounted at a convenient location in the path of travel of the yarn moving from a yarn supply, to a pointof yarn demand, in such manner that it may either cooperate with the usual yarn tension devices of the particular knitting, or other textile machine, with which it is associated, or in such manner as to eliminate the said usual yarn t ension devices.

When properly mounted and located my device will function to substantially overcomaorminimize, the said difiiculties heretofore experienced sion equalizing element of the proper weight, for

a nylon yarn of, a particular denier, to thereby maintain the yarn tension constant, so that the use of the usual yarn tension devices of the machine becomes unnecessary, or optional.

The foregoing phases and features of my invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description thereof:

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Fig, 1 thereofimy novel yarn tension equalizing device is there generally identified by the letter D and shown applied to a conventional straight, or full-"fashioned hosiery knitting machine, which comprises such well-known parts as a yarn supply box containing as usual a plurality of yarn pir'ns', cones, or packages 2, a yarn moistenin-g trough 3, a'ring tension unit 4, a

' snapper yarn tension unit 5, a bracket member 6 adapted to supporta'plurality of yarn guide rods 1, a reciprocatively operated yarn carrier bar or rod 8, on which are fixedly mounted a plurality of yarn feeding fingers or carriers 9, one for each knitting section of the machine, and a needle bar I0, having secured thereto for united action a seriesof spring beard needles I I. v

The yarn pirn,cone, or package 2, is of the usual and well-known type utilized in such knitting machinesfand is provided with a supply of nylon yarn Y that is fed to the needles I I by the reciprocating movement of a respective yarn feeding finger or carrier 9', of the particular knitting section served by said carrier.

In the present instance, the nylon yarn Y is shown as traveling from its source ofsupply, represented by the cone 2, to its point of demand, represented by the lower feeding end of the yarn carrier finger 9 adjacent the needles I I, by moving upwardly frornthe cone 2, through a yarn guide eyelet I2 in the top section of the yarn box I, then through'myyarn tension equalizing device D, from whence it followsits usual course through the yarn moistening trough 3, the ring element of the unit 4, the snapper of the unit 5,

: .along a guide bar I to the yarn carrier finger 9.

The yarn tension equalizing device D of my invention, is moreparticularly shown in Figs. 3 to 8 inclusive of the drawings-and generally comprises a supports, a swingably mounted, or sus- ,pended, yarn tension equalizing element E, a

plurality of yarn guide pins, or rods I 3, I4, I5, I6, I1, I8, I9 and 20, and a spring clamp member 2! WhlCh 'iS attached to the bottom'of'the device D bysuitable means, such as a screw bolt 22,.washer 23 and internally threaded nut 24.

The support S may be stamped out of sheet metal, mouldedof plastic material, or otherwise formed of suitable material, and provided with a shape, or configuration, substantially as shown,

so as to include a pair of opposed upstanding wall members, comprising sections W and W ,'provided with aligned apertures A and A and arranged. to support the. ends of the yarn guide.

pin I8, and sections W? and W arranged to support the ends of yarn guide pins I3, I4, I5, I6,

I'I, I9 and 20.

The yarn tension equalizing element E, more particularly shown in Figs 7 and. 8, is substan-.

tially V-shaped in configuration and may be formed of spring wire, or other resilient material. At its upper end the element E is provided with outwardly bentextensions, or projections, 25 and 23, and at its lower end the element E is provided with an integral inclined, or angular shaped section 21 Since the element E is formed of resilient material, it will be understood that the alignedly arranged legs thereof may be grasped at the sides thereof between the fingers of a hand, and lightly compressed, or moved toward each other, so as to similarly move the projections 25 and 26, until the outer ends of the latter clear the inner surfaces of the wall sections W and W to effect easy insertion thereof in the apertures A and A arranged to form bearing apertures for suspendedly mounting the element E, as clearly shown in Figs. l, 5 and 6..

Removal of the element E, from the support S, is similarly effected.

Each of the yarn guide pins i3, M, I5, [6, ll, I8, I 9 and 2B, is preferably, but not necessarily, formed of metal, such as hardened steel, and provided with a polished external surface to effect smooth sliding action of the nylon yarn along thepoint of contact therewith, and the outer ends of these pins are frictionally, or otherwise secured, in suitable apertures provided therefor in the respective opposed wall sections of the support S, as shown.

The spring clamp member 2 I is formed of suitableresilient material, such as spring metal, and shaped as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, so that the outer ends thereof may be spread apart and sprung over a pair of yarn guide rods 28 and 29, ordinarily located above the yarn box I of a full-fashioned knitting machine, as indicated in Fig. 1. The spring clamp member 2| constitutes simple separable fastening means for attaching the device D in proper location on the textile machine with which it is associated. It will be understood, however, that when the device D is to be located at some other point in a straight knitting machine, or some other textile machine, other suitable separable attaching means may be connected with the device D to serve a similar purpose at said different location. I

Figure 6 more particularly illustrates one way in which the nylon yarn Y may be directed to travel through the device D, so as to effect equalization of the yarn tension during feeding movement of the yarn in a textile machine, or apparatus, from a yarn source to a point of yarn demand. As there shown, the nylon yarn Y coming from the yarn bobbin 2, passes around the pin l3, then contacts, or slides along the upper surfaces of the three pins Hi, and It, then is trained about the lower free inclined bight portion of the yarn tension equalizing element E, from which it extends to the pin ll, and after passing the latter the yarn Y slides over the pin l8, from whence it travels to its point of demand, as previously indicated.

In this arrangement of parts comprising the device D, the weight of the element E, functions to counteract the extent of variation in yarn tension, or pull, due to, or resulting from, the previously indicated conditions caused by the elastic quality, or characteristics, of the nylon yarn Y. As long as the tension of the yarn traveling through the device D remains constant, or uniform, and flows freely through the device D, the element E, will remain in. its perpendicular position, or substantially so.

bobbin 2, the resultant pull exerted by theyarn on the element E, will cause the latter toswing to the left, as seen in Fig. 6, until the weight action caused by such movement substantially balances, or equalizes, the variation in yarn tension which has been initiated by said drag on the yarn coming from the bobbin 2. This yarn tension equalizing action by the element E, is enhanced, as the swinging movement of the latter increases, or advances, since such advancement will cause the yarn which slides along the pins it, it, and it, to be lifted in accordance with the swinging movement of the element E, as in dicated by the dot-and-dash positions of the element E in Fig. 6. As the yarn portion in contact with the pins i4, I5 and It is lifted in this manner, it will be successively moved out of contact with these pins, i. e., the yarn will first be lifted out of contact with pin it, then out of contact with pin l5, and finally out of contact with pin it. Such successive removal of the yarn from contacting relation with the pins 16,

- i5 and it, will have the effect of reducing the frictional drag created when the yarn moves over, or along, the contact surfaces of thesepins, thereby reducing, or eliminating this drag, as the case may be, in cooperation, or supplementation, with the yarn tension equalizing action of the element E, as the yarn Y travels through the device D.

In order that my device D may be properly adjusted for best yarn tension equalizing results with nylon yarns of different denier, several interchangeable elements E are provided for selective association with the support 8, each of which is exactly like the element E shown in'Figs. '7 and 8, in construction, size and configuration, but different in weight, or wire gauge. This makes it possible to select an element E of the required weight best adapted to perform the described yarn tension equalizing action, with nylon knitting yarn of a certain denier, and to mount the same on the support S, as shown and described.

It will be realized that the nylon yarn Y may be directed through the device D in a manner which differs somewhat from the yarn travel shown and described. For example, instead of the yarn Y first moving along the pin it, it may be caused to contactingly move along the pin 20. Likewise, instead of the yarn moving along the pin ll, it may be caused to contactingly move along the pin it. Such and other changes in travel of the yarn Y, through the device D, may be eifected to slightly increase, or decrease, the frictional drag on the yarn,,as desired, or required, under certain conditions, or to otherwise vary the yarn travel conditions for the-purpose of attaining best operating results.

It is also to be. understood that my novel yarn tension equalizing device can be utilized in a textile machine, such as a straight, or full-fashioned knitting machine, with or without, the usual, or standard, yarn tensioning means of such machines, and that the use of such yarn tensioning means, in conjunction with device, is optional and depends on the machine operating conditions prevailing, or the operating policy adopted in any particular instance. For example, in the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, the ring tension unit 4 and the snapper tension unit 5, may be entirely eliminated, if desired, without in any However, as soonasthere is a drag on the yarn coming from the yarn waythangin or afiecting the functioning of my with other parts, so as to provide an arrangement of'cooperating yarn feeding parts which meet conditions as desired, or required, for best results, in any particular instance. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, my device D may be mounted on a bracket 30, which is fixed to a usual frame member 3| located at the front of a straight or full-fashioned knitting machine, and a yarn moistening device 32 may also be secured to the bracket 30 by suitable means, such as a bolt 33 and nut 34, provided to simultaneously secure the device Dto the bracket 30. The yarn moistening device 32 may include a liquid jar 35 adapted to contain a suitable liquid for moistening the nylon yarn Y, and a wick 35 arranged to extend from said liquid upwardly through the top of the jar 3 5 to a. point of contact with the yarn Y. With such an arrangement, the yarn pirn, cone, or package indicated by the reference character 2 in Fig. 2, may be invertedly mounted, as shown, on a bracket 31, which is secured to the knitting machine frame member 3| and a second similar knitting machine frame member 38. In Fig. 2 certain of the standard or conventional parts of a straight or full-fashioned knitting machine are shown which are also illustrated in Fig. 1. Since such conventional knitting machine parts have already been identified and described, corresponding reference characters have been applied thereto in Fig. 2, so as to avoid redundancy in the description thereof. As indicated by short arrows in Fig. 2, the nylon yarn Y in this instance travels from the bobbin 2 downwardly, so that the movement of the yarn Y travels through the device D in reverse direction to that previously described. Such reversal of the yarn travel does not, however, affect the functioning of the device D in any manner whatsoever, and the device D as shown in Fig. 2, carries out the same yarn tension equalizing operation, in the same manner as previously described.

Of course, the improvements herein specifically shown and described can be further changed and modified in various ways, without departing from the invention disclosed, the scope of which is more particularly indicated by the hereto appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a textile apparatus a yarn tension equalizing device located in the path of travel of a yarn moving from a supply and comprising, a support, and a plurality of yarn tension equalizing elements of different weights a selected one of which is pivotally suspended on said support and has a portion at the free end thereof arranged to be engaged by the yarn during its feeding travel in such manner as to effect swinging movement of the element from a perpendicular position to a yarn tension equalizing position as determined by the pulling action exerted by the yarn during its feeding travel along said element portion.

2. In a textile apparatus a yarn tension equalizing device located in the path of travel of the yarn moving from said supply and comprising, a support, a yarn tension equalizing element freely pivotally suspended on said support in gravity determined perpendicular position and having a portion at the free end thereof arranged to be engaged by the yarn during its feeding travel in such manner as to effect swinging move ment of the element from its perpendicular position to a yarn tension equalizing position'as determined by the pulling action exerted by the yarn during its feeding travel along said element portion, and two stationary yarn guide members on said support one of which is located above and one below said element portion when the element is in its perpendicular position so that the element portion moves between said guide members.

3. A yarn tension equalizing device comprising a support, a plurality of yarn tension equalizing elements of different weights a selected one of which is pivotally suspended on said support,.and means at the free end of each of said elements arranged to be engaged by the yarn during its feeding travel in such manner as to efiect swinging movement of the element from a perpendicular position to a yarn tension equalizing position as determined by the pulling action exerted by the yarn during its feeding travel along said element means.

4. A yarn tension equalizing device comprising, a support, and a plurality of wire-formed yarn tension equalizing elements of different weights a selected one of which is pivotally suspended on said support which element has a portion at the free end thereof arranged to be engaged by the yarn during its feeding travel in such manner as to effect swinging movement of the element from a perpendicular position to a yarn tension equalizing position as determined by the pulling action exerted by the yarn during its feeding travel along said element portion.

5. A yarn tension equalizing device comprising, a support having vertically extending opposed wall sections each of which is provided with an aperture, a yarn tension equalizing element provided with projections adapted to extend through said apertures to effect pivotal suspension of the element between said wall sections, and means at the'free end of said element arranged to be engaged by the yarn during its feeding travel in such manner as to effect swinging movement of the element from a perpendicular position to a yarn tension equalizing position as determined by the pulling action exerted by the yarn during its feeding travel along said means.

6. A yarn tension equalizing device comprising, a support having vertically extending opposed wall sections each of which is provided with an aperture, a yarn tension equalizing element provided with projections adapted to extend through said apertures to effect pivotal suspension of the element between said wall sections, resilient means arranged to maintain said projections in pivotal relation with said apertures and in relatively movable relation with respect to each other, and means at the free end of said element arranged to be engaged by the yarn during its feeding travel in such manner as to effect swinging movement of the element from a perpendicular position to a yarn tension equalizing position as determined by the pulling action exerted by the yarn during its feeding travel along said means.

7. A yarn tension equalizing device comprising, a support having vertically extending opposed wall sections each of which is provided with an aperture, a substantially V-shaped yarn tension element formed of resilient wire and provided at its upper end with outwardly bent projections that are relatively movable with respect to each other and adapted to extend through said apertures to effect pivotal suspension of the element.

between said wall sections, and a portion at the lower end of said element arranged to be engaged by the yarn during its feeding travel in such manner as to effect swinging movement of the element from a perpendicular position to a yarn tension equalizing position as determined by the pulling action exerted by the yarn during its feeding travel along said element portion.

8. A yarn tension equalizing device comprising, a support having vertically extending opposed wall sections each of which is provided with an aperture, a substantially V-shaped yarn tension element formed of resilient wire and provided at its upper end with outwardly bent projections that are relatively movable with respect to each other and adapted to extend through said apertures to effect pivotal suspension of the element between said wall sections, a portion at the lower end of said element arranged to be engaged by the yarn during its feeding travel in such manner as to effect swinging movement of the element from a perpendicular position to a yarn tension equalizing position as determined by the yarn during its feeding travel along said element portion, and a plurality of yarn guide pins fixedly supported in said opposed wall sections at least one of which is located above said element portion when the element is in its perpendicular position.

9. A yarn tension equalizing device comprising, a support having vertically extending opposed wall sections each of which is provided with an aperture, a substantially V-shaped yarn tension element formed of resilient wire and provided at its upper end with outwardly bent projections that are relatively movable with respect to each other and adapted to extend through said apertures to effect pivotal suspension of the element between said wall sections, a portion at the lower end of said element arranged to be engaged by the yarn during its feeding travel in such manner as to effect swinging movement of the element from a perpendicular position to a yarn tension equalizing position as determined by the yarn during its feeding travel along said element portion, and a plurality of yarn guide pins fixedly supported in said opposed wall sections at least one of which is located above said element portion and one below said element portion when the element is in its perpendicular position.

10. A yarn tension equalizing device comprising, a support having vertically extending opposed wall sections each of which is provided with an aperture, a substantially V-shaped yarn tension element formed of resilient wire and provided at its upper end with outwardly bent projections that are relatively movable with respect to each other and adapted to extend through said apertures to effect pivotal suspension of the element between said wall sections, a portion at the lower end of said element arranged to be engaged by the yarn during its feeding travel in such manner as to effect swinging movement of the element from a perpendicular position to a yarn tension equalizing position as determined by the yarn during its feeding travel along said element portion, and a plurality of yarn guide pins fixedly supported in said opposed wall sections all of which are arranged to be contacted by the yarn when said element is in its perpendicular position and from which the yarn will be successively lifted out of contact during said swinging movement of the element from its perpendicular position to different yarn tension equalizing positions.

11. In a textile apparatus a yarn tension equalizing device located in a path of travel of the yarn moving from a supply and comprising, a. support, a yarn tension equalizing element pivotally suspended on said support and having a portion at the free end thereof arranged to be engaged by the yarn during its feeding travel in such manner as to efiect swinging movement of the element from a, perpendicular position to different yarn tension equalizing positions as determined by the pulling action exerted by the yarn during its feeding travel along said element portion, and means on said support provided with a plurality of relatively spaced surfaces all of which are arranged to be contacted by the yarn when said element is in its perpendicular position and from which the yarn will be successively lifted out of contact during said swinging movement of the element from its perpendicular position to different yarn tension equalizing positions.

ROBERT H. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

